Monsieur Lazhar: Viggo Mortensen

Philippe Falardeau Dept: At 2011's ceremony, Quebec film Incendies, directed by Denis Villeneuve, took the top prize at the annual celebration of Canadian film. This year, Monsieur Lazhar, Philippe Falardeau s story of an Algerian immigrant who helps a middle-school class cope with the suicide of their former teacher, earned an Oscar nomination before it became a leading Genie contender, according to CBC. It s a good time for Quebec cinema, says Anne mond, the young director who has won this year s Claude Jutra Award for best debut film for her rave-set romance Nuit #1. Viggo Mortensen is nominated for best actor for his turn as Sigmund Freud in A Dangerous Method. Associated Press A handful of Quebec films that have garnered critical raves including Cafe de Flore, Monsieur Lazhar and Starbuck are competing for Genie glory Thursday night alongside high-profile international co-productions such as A Dangerous Method and The Whistleblower . Jean-Marc Vallee's romantic drama Cafe de Flore heads into the awards with a leading 13 nominations, while Starbuck, a hilarious comedy from Montreal s Ken Scott, has already cultivated audiences across Canada. It will be presented the Golden Reel Award for best box office returns for a Canadian film. Good time for Quebec film (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.